Weird Al Gets Even Weirder at Pine Knob!

Weird Al Yankovic, the living legend of funny music and pop culture icon, has been on the road this year with his Bigger & Weirder Tour to the delight of fans young and old across the country. Unlike Yankovic's previous outing, a tour that focused specifically on deep cuts and non-hits, a treat to both hardcore fans and to his band alike, the new tour's set list focuses again on his biggest hits, most familiar tracks, and spotlights some newer material he has released in the decade since his last LP, 2014's Mandatory Fun. In addition to the hits (complete with several costume changes and necessary video breaks to allow for them), Yankovic has also expanded his usual, always excellent, four-piece backing band (most of whom have toured and recorded with him since the early '80s) to include four additional musicians, allowing for more interplay with horns, percussion, additional guitars and keyboards, and even sound effects that make the performance sometimes evocative of those of some of Yankovic's musical heroes, such as Spike Jones and Frank Zappa.

After performing a sold-out show at Traverse City's annual cherry festival, Yankovic and the band visited the historic Pine Knob amphitheater in Clarkston, MI (north of Detroit) for a strong run through the finely paced and choreographed show, entertaining fans who have been seeing him for decades as well as many seeing him for the first time, some attending with their parents or even as a whole family. The evening began with a comical opening set by Puddles the Clown (as Puddles Pity Party) who offered his trademark comedy and cover songs before appearing briefly in Yankovic's first number, which began about 20 minutes later, taking a cream pie to the face. The Bigger & Weirder show itself is not dissimilar to Yankovic's other tours going back to at least the early '90s, and each successive tour maintains a similar framework, only rotating songs in and out of the set or adjusting the order of some every few years, in addition to highlighting some of his most recent work. For example, "Tacky," his show opener, was also the first song performed on each date of the Mandatory Fun tour in 2015 and is still produced similarly with Yankovic singing it as he is filmed walking from his dressing room to the stage, after the band has already begun playing, and projected to the audience on closed circuit screens. All-time favorites like "One More Minute," "Smells Like Nirvana," "Dare to Be Stupid," "Fat," "White & Nerdy," and "Amish Paradise" are guaranteed, and a well-rehearsed medley of bits and pieces of other hits and fan favorites arrives around the mid-point of the show (though the songs featured in the medley also get rotated from tour to tour). 

Yankovic is also known for his signature polka medleys, where he retains the original lyrics of several popular songs but arranges them as a polka, and a standard Weird Al show usually contains a performance of his most recently released polka, in this case, last year's "Polkarama!" which includes hits by Billie Eilish, Adele, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and others. Much of the remainder of the set is divided between a handful of deep cuts that were not necessarily hit singles but are loved by fans and by the band, such as "Everything You Know Is Wrong," "Skipper Dan," and "eBay," and newer songs, which now consist of special projects and tracks created for TV and movies, such as "Captain Underpants Theme Song," "It's My World," and "Now You Know," from the hilarious biopic sendup Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, from which a few scenes were also shown on the monitors during costume changes. The other notable holdover from Yankovic's recent deep cuts tours that has now been integrated into his standard show is the featuring of one straight cover song, all original lyrics and music (which changes each night). At Pine Knob, the crowd was treated to an energetic run through Paul Simon's classic "You Can Call Me Al," which Yankovic deadpan introduced as how he responded to someone who asked him how he prefers to be addressed.

As the opening of the show remains consistent with previous recent tours, so does the closing, which centers primarily on two of Yankovic's three Star Wars themed songs, "The Saga Begins" and "Yoda," also including an onstage appearance by the local regiment of the 501st Legion of costumed stormtroopers, a dedicated group of Star Wars fans who have organized around the world, often appearing for charity and at children's events. To say that this portion of the show (or any other) pushes the boundaries of acceptable nerdity or geekdom would be an understatement, and both Yankovic and the audience clearly love it.

Beyond the regular cycle of touring and continuing to deliver a strong, engaging, and hilarious show every night, it's clear this particular tour feels a bit more significant to Yankovic and may even be a sort of late career victory lap where he's taking the opportunity to feel the appreciation from his fans and to celebrate a job well done. Yankovic will be 66 years old in a few months, and like many other Boomer and Gen X musicians, may be looking at wrapping things up, at least with regard to a tour of this size and scale. His singular style will never be duplicated or repeated, and those who have been lucky enough to see him live or even to enjoy his career in real time have been given a special comedic, musical gift and countless laughs and joy for nearly half a century. Weird Al Yankovic's Bigger & Weirder Tour continues through late September including a performance at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, MI on September 17th.

Weird Al Yankovic, 7/2/25 (Clarkston, MI) set list:
Fun Zone (intro tape)
Tacky
Mission Statement
Polkamania!
(drum solo)
Everything You Know Is Wrong
One More Minute
Smells Like Nirvana
Dare to Be Stupid
Medley: Party in the CIA/It's All About the Pentiums/Bedrock Anthem/My Bologna/Ricky/Ode to a Superhero/I Love Rocky Road/Eat It/Like a Surgeon/Word Crimes/Canadian Idiot
Fat
Captain Underpants Theme Song
Now You Know
You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)
It's My World
Skipper Dan
(drum solo reprise)
eBay
Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me
White & Nerdy
Amish Paradise
------------------------------ 
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (Bach)
Cell Phones
The Saga Begins
Yoda
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Puddles Pity Party, 7/2/25 (Clarkston, MI) set list:
I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Harry Carroll)
Come Cry with Me (Glyn Styler)
Who Wants to Help the Clown? (interlude)
Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne)
*(unknown song)*
Who Wants to Help the Clown? (interlude)
Estoy serntado aqui (Los Lobos)
Come on Up to the House (Tom Waits)
In the End
Stairway to Gilligan's Island (Little Roger & The Goosebumps)
My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion)/Enter Sandman (Metallica)/One (Metallica)

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Devo Rocks Detroit!

De-evolution was on full display at the historic Fillmore (formerly The State Theatre) the last Saturday in June when Devo brought their 50th anniversary/farewell tour to Detroit. The faithful fans and followers of the legendary art punk collective lined the streets around the venue for hours ahead of the show, and the band delivered an amazing night of music to all. Primarily focusing on music from their first and third albums, Devo ran through hits and fan favorites that apply to the modern political and social landscape as well or better today than when originally released. Co-lead singers Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale maintained consistently high energy throughout the show, leading the rest of the band and many on the GA floor in the group's trademark robotic choreography and running in place all evening. 

Opening with the pulsing beat of "Don't Shoot" from 2010's Something for Everybody, Devo's most recent album, the rest of the performance dug back into the late '70s and early '80s with spirited renditions of "Peek-A-Boo!," "That's Good," and "Girl U Want" engaging the audience who sang and danced along. Playing their signature song, 1980's "Whip It" near the end of the first third of the concert was somewhat surprising but fit in well among the order of the other songs and got an expected, enthusiastic response from the crowd. 

Somewhat similarly to Weird Al Yankovic's carefully choreographed mid-show costume changes, Devo utilized video breaks that allowed them to feature various outfits from different points in their history, such as their iconic red energy domes, then the bright yellow tear-away jump suits, and even the triangular smocks emblazoned with a single letter from the word "Devo" as seen in some of the videos and live performances in the early '80s. The middle of the show, especially, harkened back to the bands earliest days of success with a run through their creative deconstructions of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," followed by signature tracks from their debut LP, including "Uncontrollable Urge," "Mongoloid," and "Jocko Homo," which resulted in the night's most engaged crowd responses ("We are Devo!") and featured a portion of "Round on the Ends, High in the Middle, O-Hi-O" in spite of the performance being in Michigan and surely enemy territory for most Ohioans.

The third act of the show was presented more as an encore but included some of the strongest moments of the night, especially on "Freedom of Choice" which no one in the band needed to set up or explain in these post-postmodern days in politics and society and concluded with a lengthy rendition of "Beautiful World," the sarcastically clean-sounding and upbeat tune that compares conflicting social outlooks. Mothersbaugh donned his famous Booji Boy mask and sang in that character's comical falsetto to close the show, much to the delight of the crowd.

While Devo were one of the pioneers of working with projections and visual effects on backing screens, they continue to show contemporary artists and concertgoers new and effective ways in which they can be used, especially with the technological advancements of the last 35 years. The night was both a treat for long time fans who got to experience Devo live potentially one last time and even more so for younger fans who may have missed their entire classic run and possibly even subsequent reunions. Now featuring three founding members (Mothersbaugh's brother Bob is also still on guitar and vocals), Devo push themselves hard to represent their legacy and to maintain a tone in their delivery that is both uniquely their own while being an inspiration to countless bands and artists from over the past half-century. 

Devo (6/28/25 * Detroit, MI) set list:
(Rod Rooter intro video)
Don't Shoot
Peek-A-Boo!
Going Under
That's Good
Girl U Want
Whip It
Planet Earth
------(Carl Sagan video interlude)---------- 
Satisfaction (Rolling Stones)
Secret Agent Man (P.F. Sloan)
Uncontrollable Urge
Mongoloid
Jocko Homo/Round on the End and High in the Middle O-HI-O (Bryan/Hanlon)
Smart Patrol
Mr. DNA
Gates of Steel
-------(Devo Corporate Anthem video)-----
Star-Spangled Banner (Key/Smith) (tease)
Freedom of Choice
Gut Feeling
Slap Your Mammy
Beautiful World (w/Booji Boy)
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Queens of the Stone Age Scorch Chicago!

Nearly a year after they were scheduled to rock Huntington Bank Pavillion at Northerly Island in Chicago, Queens of the Stone Age finally graced the stage on a blistering June evening amid a heatwave with indexes well over 100 degrees. Notably, heavy winds and the venue's position right on the shore of Lake Michigan helped lower the temperature a bit for concertgoers, but it would be impossible to call the conditions comfortable. The long delay was the result of undisclosed health issues that affected bandleader Josh Homme that apparently improved significantly following treatment, and the band is now back on the road and promoting their recently released live EP, Alive in the Catacombs, recorded last summer in Paris. In this case, the Chicago date became the official final performance of the End Is Nero tour which originally launched in 2023 to support the band's most recent album, In Times New Roman..., and a new tour of theater shows was announced a few days later, starting at the end of the summer.

Those early enough to avoid the long lines to enter and who dared to brave the sweltering heat were treated to an excellent opening set from The Kills, the UK duo who have been entertaining with their blend of minimalist-garage-goth rock for over 20 years and who famously feature singer Alison Mosshart also of The Dead Weather, one of Jack White's many projects. After a short set change, QOTSA took the stage to a great reception from the crowd and launched into "A Song for the Deaf," which has recently been resurrected and added to the set list rotation to the delight of longtime fans. "No One Knows," the band's biggest hit, followed and engaged the remaining members of the audience who weren't already locked into the performance. Homme sounded as sharp as ever on vocals and guitar throughout, but his ace supporting band, including longtime guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and veterans like Mikey Shuman, Dean Fertita, and drummer Jon Theodore, each handled their parts with precision and energy.

The main portion of the show focused primarily on songs from 2007-2023, highlighting not just the latter half of the band's catalog but primarily the songs that this particular collective of players have so far created together rather than featuring tracks from earlier versions of the band that featured different players. Singles like "3's & 7's," "Paper Machete," "Smooth Sailing," and "My God Is the Sun" carried the tone of the show well into its midpoint when a few deep cuts from this same era, such as "Time & Place," "Kalopsia," and "Misfit Love," were featured. While many of the band's older fans would have enjoyed a few songs from 2000's Rated R or the 1998 self-titled debut album, it's also arguable that breaking up the newer material with older songs would have created a different mood and experience. It was later discovered that a few more recent songs ("I Appear Missing" and "Negative Space") were included on the set list but were not performed.

While the band's performance was well-rehearsed, passionate, and technically impressive as usual, the venue itself and the weather conditions undoubtably affected the show. For one, compared to other shows on this leg of the tour, the Chicago performance was the band's shortest and had the fewest number of songs played. Considering the oppressive heat that blanketed the city the entire weekend, this is somewhat understandable, though the temperature had come down a bit as the sun set. Secondly, the wind gusts simply could not be ignored or adjusted to compensate for in this case. The well-mixed audio coming from the stage was intermittently affected by bursts of wind that came and went in spans of a few seconds at a time throughout the show, sometimes gusting so hard that a lyric or two or a notable guitar note seemed to simply disappear and go completely unheard. Songs for the Deaf, indeed.

Homme and company wrapped things up with a strong set of hits and fan favorites including "Make It wit Chu," "I Sat by the Ocean," and "Go with the Flow" before explaining they wished to stay on stage and continue playing rather than taking an encore break, something that has become more common at modern rock shows. They finished the night with blistering takes on "Little Sister" and the traditional closing number, "A Song for the Dead," which continued to receive slight adjustments in the arrangement in spots as the band has done for years. The fall tour will have a completely different tone and flavor, so it was excellent to catch QOTSA at full volume and in an outdoor summer setting, but it seemed like both the band and the fans were already looking forward to the cooler and intimate vibe that will accompany the next round of shows.

Queens of the Stone Age, Chicago, IL (6/21/25) set list:
(Basil Poledouris-"Dagoth Ceremony") (intro tape)
A Song for the Deaf
No One Knows
3's & 7's
Paper Machete
Smooth Sailing
My God Is the Sun
Emotion Sickness
If I Had a Tail
Time & Place
Carnavoyeur
Kalopsia
Misfit Love
Make It wit Chu
I Sat by the Ocean
Little Sister
Go with the Flow
A Song for the Dead
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The Kills, Chicago, IL (6/21/25) set list:
Kissy Kissy
U.R.A. Fever
Love and Tenderness
103
Baby Says
New York
Wasterpiece
Telephone Radio Germany
Black Balloon
My Girls My Girls
Doing It to Death
Future Starts Now
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